Speaking the language

Speaking a foreign language in an American classroom has its share of challenges.

But nine local middle-school students have found a way to use their language abilities to touch lives half a world away.

Students in Claudia Haskins’ English as a Second Language social-studies class at Grey Culbreth Middle School wrote letters to Thai students affected by the tsunami that hit southeastern Asia on Dec. 26.

While most American letters sent to tsunami victims were written in English, Haskins’ students chose to write the letters in the language of their recipients.

“It gave them a real-life situation in which they could use their Thai writing skills,” Haskins said.

“Plus, we happened to be studying about Mount Vesuvius, the Roman Empire and Pompeii at the time,” she added. “It was just one of those teaching moments when it all fits together.”

Haskins proposed the idea to students after learning about Valentine’s Day Tsunami Victims Project.

That project, organized by Tao Mountain, a Thai massage and herbal medicine association, aims to gather letters for Thai children affected by the tsunami.

According to the project’s Web site, people have sent tens of thousands of letters for distribution.

Haskins said that she sent the letters Jan. 10 and that the association will deliver them next week.

“I thought the letters were a good idea,” said Cannon Aung Min, 14. “I feel sad for the people because I lived in Thailand, and I have many Thai friends.”

Lutha Naw, 13, agreed that writing the letters was a good idea.

“I saw the houses and I worried about the people,” she said.

Five of the students speak Thai but are originally from the area now known as Myanmar.

The other students, who speak Spanish and Chinese, also wrote letters in their native languages.

Xie Yu, 14, wrote letters in both English and Chinese.

“I heard about the tsunami, and I wanted to help because I knew their families might have died or be lost,” Xie said. “I wrote, ‘Forget the sad things.’”

Each letter was also accompanied by a drawing.

While many drawings were of Thai flags, other subjects included houses, sunbursts and snowmen.

Haskins said the only requirement was that students could not depict tsunamis in their drawings.

Copies of the letters and drawings were displayed on the school’s main bulletin board in January to illustrate the month’s theme of kindness, she said.

Haskins said the students might write to the victims again later in the school year.

Cannon said his letter offered hope and optimism.

“I’m so sorry, and I’m praying for them,” he said the letter read, “and I hope I may see them some day.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.